NFL Playoffs: What Teams Will Face Off In the Divisional Round?
The NFL Playoffs kicked off with a level of drama usually reserved for reality TV finales, delivering comebacks, upsets, and the kind of quarterback play that makes you scream at the television.
We saw Matthew Stafford turning back the clock, Caleb Williams proving the moment wasn’t too big, and the reigning NFC champs getting sent home early. The bracket has been busted, taped back together, and broken again. With the field narrowing from 14 teams down to the elite few, the road to Super Bowl LX is looking more treacherous than ever.
Wild Card Weekend Was Not For the Faint of Heart
The headline act of the NFL Playoffs has to be the Chicago Bears. Down 18 points against their arch-rival Green Bay Packers? In the playoffs? That script usually ends in Chicago heartbreak. Instead, Caleb Williams woke up in the fourth quarter, dropping 25 points to stun the Packers 31-27. It stopped the Bears from becoming a historical footnote, only the second No. 2 seed to lose to a No. 7, and sent Soldier Field into absolute pandemonium.
Then you have Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. This game against the Jaguars was a rollercoaster that refused to let anyone off. Four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone? That’s not football; that’s cardiac arrest. Allen punching in the go-ahead touchdown with a minute left was quintessential Buffalo grit. They survived, but my goodness, it wasn’t pretty.
And we have to talk about the upset of the NFL Playoffs. The San Francisco 49ers, entering as the No. 6 seed, walked into Philadelphia and silenced the Linc. Brock Purdy connecting with Christian McCaffrey for the game-winner sent the Eagles, the defending conference champs, packing. It’s a brutal end for Philly, but a reminder that seeding is just a number when you have that kind of offensive firepower.
Over in the AFC, Drake Maye is officially 1-0 in the postseason. The Patriots played a suffocating defensive game to shut down the Chargers 16-3. It wasn’t flashy, but defense wins championships, right? Or at least, it wins Wild Card games.
The Divisional Round Matchups Are Taking Shape
With the dust settling, the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs is looking absolutely stacked. The No. 1 seeds, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks, have been resting their legs, watching the carnage from the comfort of their couches. Now, they know who’s coming to dinner.
In the NFC, the bracket is set:
- No. 6 San Francisco 49ers at No. 1 Seattle Seahawks: It is a classic NFC West rivalry renewed in the playoffs. The Niners are riding high off the upset, but Seattle has the “12th Man” and the rest advantage. This is going to be a war on Saturday.
- No. 5 Los Angeles Rams at No. 2 Chicago Bears: Matthew Stafford vs. Caleb Williams. The veteran gunslinger against the young phenom. The Rams narrowly escaped Carolina thanks to Stafford’s late-game heroics, while the Bears are feeling invincible after their comeback. Soldier Field will be rocking on Sunday.
In the AFC, we have one confirmed matchup and one waiting on Monday Night Football:
- No. 6 Buffalo Bills at No. 1 Denver Broncos: Buffalo travels to Mile High on Saturday. The Bills are battle-tested after that Jags game, but playing at altitude against a rested No. 1 seed is a different beast entirely.
- TBD at No. 2 New England Patriots: The Pats are waiting to see who survives Monday night.
One Loose End: Steelers vs. Texans
The NFL Playoffs bracket isn’t fully inked in just yet. We’ve got one piece of business left: the Pittsburgh Steelers (4) hosting the Houston Texans (5) tonight on ESPN.
This is the nightcap to a chaotic weekend. The winner gets the distinct “privilege” of traveling to Foxborough to face a Patriots defense that just held the Chargers to a measly 3 points. Whether it’s C.J. Stroud or the Steelers’ rugged defense that prevails, the AFC bracket will finally be complete by midnight.
The Road To Super Bowl LX
The field is thinning out, and the margin for error is basically zero. We’ve gone from 14 hopefuls down to the survivors. If Wild Card weekend was the appetizer, the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs will be the main course.
